Varnish-coated release liner

ABSTRACT

A release liner for removably covering an adhesive surface is disclosed. The release liner includes a substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface of an item. The substrate includes a first side configured to releasably attach to the adhesive surface and a second side opposite the first side. The release liner also includes one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate and a varnish coating on the second side of the substrate. The varnish coating covers at least the one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/268,710, filed Dec. 17, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND

Release liners are often used to prevent adhesive surfaces from adhering to themselves and/or other surfaces until the release liner is removed. For example, a release liner may removably cover an adhesive surface. When in place on the adhesive surface, the release liner prevents the adhesive surface from adhering to itself and/or another surface. A user, when desiring to apply the adhesive surface, can remove the release liner to expose the adhesive surface. In many instances, the release liner easily releases from the adhesive surface. With the release liner removed, the adhesive surface may be applied to another surface.

Release liners are useable with a wide variety of products that include adhesive surfaces. These may include, for example, simple products, such as stickers or bandages, or more complex products, such as physiological sensors that are designed adhere to a patient's body. In broadest terms, release liners are useable with any product that includes an adhesive surface.

In some instances, after removing the release liner from the adhesive surface, the user may wish to reapply the release liner to the adhesive surface. This may occur, for example, if the user has changed his or her mind about applying the adhesive surface to another surface or if the adhesive surface is part of a reusable product. The user may then reapply the release liner to the adhesive surface to cover it.

Some embodiments of release liners include ink, or otherwise printed, features on one or more of the surfaces thereof.

SUMMARY

Release liners are described herein. In some embodiments, the release liners are coated with, for example, a varnish. The release liners may be useable to cover an adhesive surface to prevent it from adhering to another surface until the release liner is removed. In some embodiments, the release liner may be reusable. That is, in some embodiments, the release liner may be adhered to an adhesive surface, removed from the adhesive surface, and re-adhered to the adhesive surface.

In a first aspect, a release liner for removably covering an adhesive surface is disclosed. The release liner includes a substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface of an item. The substrate includes a first side configured to releasably attach to the adhesive surface and a second side opposite the first side. The release liner also includes one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate and a varnish coating on the second side of the substrate. The varnish coating covers at least the one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the varnish coating covers substantially all of the second side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the release liner further includes one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate, and a vanish coating on the first side of the substrate, the varnish coating covering at least the one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the varnish coating covers substantially all of the first side of the substrate. In some embodiments, a visual pattern is formed on or in the varnish coating. In some embodiments, a textural pattern is formed on or in the varnish coating. In some embodiments, the varnish coating comprises a release agent. In some embodiments, the release liner further includes a release agent on the first side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the varnish coating is configured to prevent transfer of the one or more ink-printed features to the adhesive surface. In some embodiments, the substrate is translucent or transparent.

In another aspect, a release liner for removably covering an adhesive surface is disclosed. The release liner includes a substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface of an item, one or more ink-printed features on at least one of a first side or an opposite second side of the substrate, and a visual or textural pattern formed on or in a varnish coating applied to the substrate. The release liner is configured to be applied to an adhesive surface to prevent the adhesive surface from adhering to itself or another surface until the release liner is removed.

In some embodiments, the varnish coating covers the one or more ink-printed features. In some embodiments, the varnish coating covers substantially all of the first side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the varnish coating covers substantially all of the second side of the substrate. In some embodiments, varnish coating is configured to prevent transfer of the one or more ink-printed features to the adhesive surface. In some embodiments, the substrate is translucent or transparent.

In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a release liner is disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming one or more ink-printed features on a first side of the substrate; applying a varnish coating to the substrate that covers at least the one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate; and applying a release agent to a second side of the substrate, the second side opposite the first side and configured to releasably attach to the adhesive surface.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: forming one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate; and applying a varnish coating to the substrate that covers the one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the varnish coating is applied to substantially all of the first side and the second side of the substrate. In some embodiments, the method further includes forming a visual pattern on or in the varnish coating. In some embodiments, the method further includes forming a textural pattern on or in the varnish coating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the release liners described herein will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only several embodiments of release liners in accordance with the disclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope. In the drawings, similar reference numbers or symbols identify similar components. The drawings may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a first side of an embodiment of a release liner. The release liner may include a coating of, for example, a varnish.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the release liner taken along the line 2-2 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a release liner in use with an embodiment of a pulse oximeter sensor configured for use on a patient's finger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Release liners are described herein. In some embodiments, the release liners may include a coating of, for example, a varnish. Embodiments of the release liners may include a thin, flexible substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface. One or more ink-printed features may be included on a first side and/or an opposite second side of the substrate. The varnish coating may cover at least the one or more ink printed features. The varnish coating may cover substantially all of the first side and/or the second side of the substrate. A visual or textural pattern may be formed in the varnish coating. The varnish coating may prevent transfer of the one or more ink-printed features to the adhesive surface. In some embodiments, a first side of the release liner is configured to releasably attach to an adhesive layer of an item, and the ink-printed features and varnish coating are on a second, opposite side of the release liner. These and other advantages will become more fully apparent to one of skill in the art upon consideration and review of this disclosure.

The release liners described below may help to resolve problems with known release liners. For example, it is common for a release liner to include a first side, configured to contact an adhesive surface, and a second side, which may include ink-printed features, for example, logos, product information, and/or instructions, among other things. The first side is often configured with a release agent to easily and releasably engage with an adhesive surface. The first side of the release liner is applied to the adhesive surface to cover it and prevent it from prematurely adhering to another surface or itself. The release liner may then be removed when it is desired to apply the adhesive surface to an object or another surface. However, in many instances, a user may attempt to reapply the release liner to the adhesive surface after it has been removed, if, for example, the user has changed his or her mind about applying the adhesive surface to another surface or if the adhesive surface is part of a reusable product. In a common example, the user may decide to temporarily reapply the release liner to the adhesive surface after the release liner has been prematurely removed, for example, if release liner has been removed before the surface to which the adhesive surface is to be adhered has been properly prepared. Often, a user will reapply the second side (for example, the side including ink-printed features) to the adhesive surface. When this occurs, ink from the ink-printed features on the second side of the release liner may transfer to the adhesive surface. This transferred ink may undesirably degrade the adhesive properties of the adhesive surface and/or subsequently transfer to another surface when the adhesive surface is later applied to the other surface. As will be described in greater detail below, the release liners disclosed herein may alleviate and/or resolve this and other problems common with known release liners.

The release liner embodiments described below may be varied, modified, and/or altered without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Further, features of any described embodiment may be substituted for, or used in addition to, features of any other embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a release liner 10. The release liner 10 includes a substrate 15. The substrate 15 can be generally thin and flexible. In some embodiments, the substrate 15 comprises a thin film plastic, paper, or other suitable material. The substrate 15 includes a first side 15 a (shown in FIG. 1), an opposite second side 15 b (visible in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, described below), and a profile 16. While the first side 15 a is illustrated in FIG. 1, the second side 15 b may include, in some embodiments, one or more of the features illustrated on the first side 15 a. In some embodiments, the second side 15 b may be substantially the same as the first side 15 b, while in other embodiments, the first side 15 a and the second side 15 b may include different features. The profile 16 defines the overall shape of the substrate 15, and thus, of the release liner 10. The profile 16 may comprise any shape and may be configured to correspond to the particular item with which the release liner 10 will be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 below, the profile 16 is configured to correspond to a shape of an adhesive pulse oximeter sensor with which the release liner is used. In some embodiments, the substrate 15 is larger than the adhesive surface with which it is used (as shown in FIG. 3). In some embodiments, the substrate 15 is the same size as the adhesive surface. In some embodiments, the substrate 15 may be shaped to include one or more tabs or other features which allow the release liner 10 to be easily gripped, for example, when removing the release liner 10 from the adhesive surface.

In the illustrated embodiment, several ink-printed features are printed on the first side 15 a of the substrate 15. As shown, a logo 19 a, model and manufacturer information 19 b, instructions for use 19 c, and an alignment aid 19 d are printed in ink 17 on the first surface 15 a of the substrate. These ink-printed features are merely provided as examples, and a wide variety of other ink printed features may be used with embodiments of the varnish-coated release liners described herein.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the release liner 10 further includes a coating 20 applied to the outermost surfaces of the release liner 10. In some embodiments, the coating 20 may comprise a varnish. In some embodiments, the coating 20 may be applied over only certain surfaces, or portions thereof, of the release liner 10. For example, in one embodiment, the coating 20 may be applied only over portions of the substrate 15 that include ink-printed features, such as the logo 19 a, the model and manufacturer information 19 b, the instructions for use 19 c, and the alignment aid 19 d previously described. In some embodiments, the coating 20 may be applied only to the first side 15 a, only to the second side 15 b, or to the first side 15 a and the second 15 b of the substrate 15.

In some embodiments, the coating 20 may serve as a release agent that can easily be applied to and releasably engage with the adhesive surface with which the release liner 10 is used. In some embodiments, a separate release agent can be used. In some embodiments, the coating 20 may allow the release liner 10 to be applied to and removed from the adhesive surface multiple times. That is, the coating 20 may allow the release liner 10 to be reused. In embodiments that include the coating 20 on both the first side 15 a and the second side 15 b of the release liner 20, the release liner 10 may be considered to be reversible. In other words, in these embodiments, either side of the release liner 10 can be applied to the adhesive surface without experiencing negative effects.

The coating 20 may further beneficially serve to prevent the transfer of ink 17 to the adhesive surface. This is because the coating 20 provides a barrier between the ink 17 of the ink-printed features and the adhesive surface.

In some embodiments, a pattern 25 may be formed on or in the coating 20. The pattern 25 may be a visual pattern and/or a textural pattern. In some embodiments, the substrate 15 may be transparent or translucent, and the pattern 25 may increase the visibility of the release liner 25. The pattern 25 may include straight lines, curved lines, dots of any shape, or any other type of pattern. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the pattern 25 comprises an oblique grid pattern. In some embodiments, the pattern 25 may cover the entire surface of the release liner 10. In some embodiments, the pattern 25 may partially cover the surface of the release liner 10. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the pattern 25 is not formed over the ink-printed instructions 19 c. In some embodiments, the pattern 25 may be formed only on the first side, only on the second side, or on the first and second sides of the release liner 10.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the release liner 10 taken along the line 2-2 shown in FIG. 1. The thicknesses of the various layers presented in FIG. 2 are not drawn to scale. As shown, the substrate 15 includes the first side 15 a and the opposite second side 15 b. A feature is printed in ink 17 on the first side 15 a. A varnish coating 20 is applied to both the first side 15 a (also covering the ink 17 on the first side 15 a) and the second side 15 b. Thus, the coating 20 provides a barrier between the ink 17 and the adhesive surface. Further, because the coating 20 is applied to both the first side 15 a and the second side 15 b, the release liner 10 is reversible, as described above, such that either side can be releasably applied to an adhesive surface.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the release liner 10 in use with an embodiment of a pulse oximeter sensor 50 configured for use on a patient's finger. This represents merely one example, among many, of a product with which varnish-coated release liners may be used. Example embodiments of such sensors are described in greater detail in, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/829,276, filed Jul. 1, 2010, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,600,467 on Dec. 3, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The sensor 50 includes electronic components (for example, emitter 51 and detector 53) mounted on a flexible carrier layer 55. The bottom surface of the carrier layer 55 includes an adhesive. The adhesive may be used to apply the sensor 50 to a patient's body, for example, on a patient's fingertip. The sensor 50 may also include a cable 61 and a connector 62.

As described above, the release liner 10 includes a flexible substrate 15, on which one or more ink-printed features (for example, logo 19 a printed in ink 17) may be printed. The substrate 15 is covered with a varnish coating 20. The release liner 10 covers the adhesive on the bottom surface of the carrier layer 55 of the sensor as shown in FIG. 3. The release liner 10 can be removed when the sensor 50 is to be applied to the patient. In some embodiments, the release liner 10 can be reapplied to the adhesive on the bottom surface of the carrier layer 55 of the sensor 50 if desired. In some embodiments, the varnish coating 20 may prevent the ink-printed features from transferring to the adhesive.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment are interchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from a depicted embodiment can be included with other depicted embodiments in any combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments.

The above description discloses several methods and materials of the present invention. This invention is susceptible to modifications in the methods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methods and equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of the invention disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that this invention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but that it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the true scope and spirit of the invention as embodied in the attached claims. Applicant reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and sub-combinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A release liner for removably covering an adhesive surface, the release liner comprising: a substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface of an item, the substrate having a first side configured to releasably attach to the adhesive surface, and a second side opposite the first side; one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate; and a varnish coating on the second side of the substrate, the varnish coating covering at least the one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate.
 2. The release liner of claim 1, wherein the varnish coating covers substantially all of the second side of the substrate.
 3. The release liner of claim 1, further comprising: one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate; and a vanish coating on the first side of the substrate, the varnish coating covering at least the one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate.
 4. The release liner of claim 3, wherein the varnish coating covers substantially all of the first side of the substrate.
 5. The release liner of claim 1, wherein a visual pattern is formed on or in the varnish coating.
 6. The release liner of claim 1, wherein a textural pattern is formed on or in the varnish coating.
 7. The release liner of claim 1, wherein the varnish coating comprises a release agent.
 8. The release liner of claim 1, further comprising a release agent on the first side of the substrate.
 9. The release liner of claim 1, wherein the varnish coating is configured to prevent transfer of the one or more ink-printed features to the adhesive surface.
 10. The release liner of claim 1, wherein the substrate is translucent or transparent.
 11. A release liner for removably covering an adhesive surface, the release liner comprising: a substrate configured in size and shape to cover an adhesive surface of an item; one or more ink-printed features on at least one of a first side or an opposite second side of the substrate; and a visual or textural pattern formed on or in a varnish coating applied to the substrate; wherein the release liner is configured to be applied to an adhesive surface to prevent the adhesive surface from adhering to itself or another surface until the release liner is removed.
 12. The release liner of claim 11, wherein the varnish coating covers the one or more ink-printed features.
 13. The release liner of claim 11, wherein the varnish coating covers substantially all of the first side of the substrate.
 14. The release liner of claim 13, wherein the varnish coating covers substantially all of the second side of the substrate.
 15. The release liner of claim 11, wherein the coating is configured to prevent transfer of the one or more ink-printed features to the adhesive surface.
 16. The release liner of claim 11, wherein the substrate is translucent or transparent.
 17. A method for manufacturing a release liner, the method comprising: providing a substrate; forming one or more ink-printed features on a first side of the substrate; applying a varnish coating to the substrate that covers at least the one or more ink-printed features on the first side of the substrate; and applying a release agent to a second side of the substrate, the second side opposite the first side and configured to releasably attach to the adhesive surface.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: forming one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate; and applying a varnish coating to the substrate that covers the one or more ink-printed features on the second side of the substrate.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the varnish coating is applied to substantially all of the first side and the second side of the substrate.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a visual pattern on or in the varnish coating.
 21. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a textural pattern on or in the varnish coating. 